1/48 F8F Bearcat opinions

[aircal62]

Want to build an F8F Bearcat in 48th scale.  I have three options:  Hawk Testors, Hobby Craft and HobbyBoss.  Any experts out there on this airframe which could shed some opinions about these kits and which seem to be accurate, suggested additions?  Thanks in advance 

[jpk]

Not an expert but here are my observations. I have the Ginter book on the Bearcat so it helps. Tommy Thomason has some detail info as well on his blog, Tailhook Topics.

 

The HB kit to me is the best of the three. A couple of things though. The most obvious is the cowl shape. It can be corrected with sanding the ring forward of the fore most panel line.  The kit windscreen/canopy on both the -1 and -2 are the same and more correct for the -2. If you want to take the time to correct the canopy for the -1 you can use the front wind screen from the Hobby Craft Bearcat. Some filling of the indent in the fuselage for the HB windshield will be needed. Barracuda Details has correct wheels/disc brakes for both versions. The AIRES wheel bay set fills the void behind the engine and details up the wing wheel wells. You might consider using the prop from a Monogram A-1H Skyraider as it is more accurate or perhaps a resin one. Resin engines are also available. 

 

There are questions about the wing being too thick and the oil cooler intakes are too close to the fuselage but once built I think those are not very apparent. HB scaled down their 1/32 kit and they did not correct those things when they scaled it down. 

 

So several little things that are correctable but still builds into an ok kit OOB.

[Geoff M]

I have built the Hobbycraft and Hobby Boss kits recently for the Showdown Group build.  You can see them here.  The Hobby Boss is better with fine detail; whether or not it is correct I don't worry about too much.  The cowl on the Hobbycraft is out of whack but can be fixed with some files and sandpaper.  Hope this helps.

 

Geoff M